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قَالَ الإِمَامُ أَحْمَدُ: حَدَّثَنَاإِسْمَاعِيلُ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا يُونُسُ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ Imaam Ahmad said: Ismaa'eel narrated to us that Yoonus informed us on the authority of al-Hasan عَنِ الأَسْوَدِ بْنِ سَرِيعٍ قَالَ أَتَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ on the authority of al-Aswad ibn Saree' who said: I came to the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam وَغَزَوْتُ مَعَهُ فَأَصَبْتُ ظَهْرًا فَقَتَلَ النَّاسُ يَوْمَئِذٍ حَتَّى قَتَلُوا الْوِلْدَانَ And I had fought in a battle along with him and I had gained a camel (from the booty).  And the people had killed so fiercely that day that they had even killed some children وَقَالَ مَرَّةً الذُّرِّيَّةَ فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ And he said once (in one narration): thurriyyah (children/offspring). So that reached the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam فَقَالَ مَا بَالُ أَقْوَامٍ جَاوَزَهُمُ الْقَتْلُ الْيَوْمَ حَتَّى قَتَلُوا الذُّرِّيَّةَ So he said: "What is with some people that the killing today had caused them to go so far as to kill children?!" فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّمَا هُمْ أَوْلادُ الْمُشْرِكِينَ فَقَالَ So a man said, "O Messenger of Allaah!  They are just children of the polytheists!"  So he said: أَلا إِنَّ خِيَارَكُمْ أَبْنَاءُ الْمُشْرِكِينَ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَلا لا تَقْتُلُوا ذُرِّيَّةً "Nay, verily the best of you are the children of polytheists!" Then he said, "Nay, do not kill children!" أَلا لا تَقْتُلُوا ذُرِّيَّةً قَالَ كُلُّ نَسَمَةٍ تُولَدُ عَلَى الْفِطْرَةِ "Nay, do not kill children!"  Then he said, "Every soul is born upon the Fitrah, حَتَّى يُعْرِبَ عَنْهَا لِسَانُهَا فَأَبَوَاهَا يُهَوِّدَانِهَا وَيُنَصِّرَانِهَا Up until its tongue speaks on behalf of it, and its two parents make it a Jew or a Christian."

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أَلا لا تَقْتُلُوا ذُرِّيَّة "Nay, do not kill children!"

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أَلا إِنَّ خِيَارَكُمْ أَبْنَاءُ الْمُشْرِكِينَ "Nay, verily the best of you are the children of the polytheists!"